Structure and features of training the muscles of the human arms

Contents:

What groups are the arm muscles divided into? What movements are they responsible for and where are they located? What exercises can you do to work them out?

The arm muscles are a part of the body whose volume makes up 5-7% of a person’s muscle mass. At the same time, working them out and adding muscle does not greatly affect weight gain. But it’s also impossible not to pay attention to your hands. The appearance of the torso and its beauty depend on their shape.

Why pump your arms?

Training these muscles is mandatory for the following reasons:

• According to statistics, women pay attention to a man’s hands, and only then to other parts. The partner’s strong hands give a feeling of confidence in the future and complement the feeling of comfort.
• Pumped up body muscles look beautiful in the warm season, when the only clothing on the torso is a short-sleeved shirt. At the same time, their beautiful uniform is a sign of a responsible attitude towards sports and health.
• When someone asks to show their pumped up muscles, the first thing the athlete boasts about is the size of his biceps and triceps.
• Strong muscles in women are an advantage in everyday life when it is necessary to carry heavy bags or a child. In addition, for the fair sex, toned triceps are an opportunity to avoid unsightly “jelly” in the area between the elbow and shoulder joints.

General structure

The anatomy of the human arm muscles is easy and understandable. Each group participates in certain movements.

So, they are conditionally divided into:

1. Shoulder muscle groups y, which is also divided into two categories:
   • anterior (belongs to the category of flexors) – humeral, biceps, coracobrachialis;
   • posterior – triceps and ulna.
2. Forearm muscles. There are two categories worth distinguishing here:
   • humeral (called brachialis);
   • brachioradialis (called brachyradialis).

They can also be classified based on their location. Here are the highlights:

• Deep musculature - the one that lies under the main muscle.
• Surface type. The main difference between this group is its location on the surface (under the skin). Such muscles are clearly visible. These include the biceps, brachyradialis, triceps and extensor carpi muscles. The main function is extension and flexion of the human arm at the elbow.

Muscle anatomy

For a better understanding, the muscle groups in the arms should be considered separately:

1. Biceps- a muscle that is located between the elbow and shoulder joints and is formed from two heads (short and long). Each of them begins in the area of ​​the shoulder joint, and from below is fixed in the elevation of the forearm bone. Human anatomy is structured in such a way that the heads unite in the middle part of the bone. The biceps performs several functions - it flexes the shoulder (forearm), the upper arm and acts as a supinator of the forearm. In addition, it is he who is responsible for the upward movement of the palm.

   

2. Triceps. The peculiarity of this muscle group is the presence of three heads and its location on the back of the shoulder joint. Each of the heads has an individual name - long, medial and lateral. All groups come together near the ulna. In this case, the medial and lateral heads “start” from the humerus, and the long one – from the scapular region.
   The functional anatomy of the triceps is as follows:
   • the long head helps the spinal muscles when performing a pullover (lying on a bench), its task is to bring the arm towards the body;
   • extension of the arm at the elbow and straightening it. The triceps is the main extensor of the elbow, forearm and humerus.

   

3. Forearm. There is a complex muscle anatomy at work here. This group consists of four types of muscles:
   • Brachialis are muscle fibers that start from the humerus and approach the instep of the forearm. It is he who is responsible for the movement of the human elbow joint (flexion).
   • Brachyradialis. It starts from the bottom of the shoulder, passes through the elbow and extends to the radius. It's not difficult to see him. To do this, just tense the muscles of your forearm and move your thumb to the left or right. The brachyradialis is located near the elbow joint, in close proximity to the biceps tendon. The main functions are to assist in the vertical movement of the forearm and flexion of the elbow joint.
   • Extensor carpi (radial, long). The main difference (when compared with another group - flexors) is less strength. It is located near the brachyradialis and is part of the five main muscles that provide movement of the wrist. Their anatomy is such that when a fist is clenched, the extensor works and sticks out from the general volume of the muscles.
   • The coracobrachialis is a muscle group that is narrow and unusual in length. In shape it takes the form of a beak. Starts from the scapular area and ends near the front of the arm. It is believed that the “KPM” is a flexor of the elbow joint, but this is not true. Its functions are to bring the arm towards the body at the moment when the elbow is bent.

   

Rules for their training

Anatomy is not the most important thing in sports. To achieve results, it is worth knowing the features of working out a particular muscle group. The following rules apply here:

• To work out the biceps, exercises are suitable in which the projectile is lifted up and brought to the chest. To develop this area of ​​the hand, you need to work with supination (bending the hand inward). Suitable exercises are pull-ups (reverse grip), seated dumbbell raises and standing barbell (dumbbell) raises.
• The triceps is a large muscle group that occupies 70% of the base of the arm. If there is a lack of volume, athletes recommend working on the triceps first and only then moving on to the biceps. To pump up this group, it is worth including basic arm extension exercises with free weights in your training program. As for insulation, it is less effective. Preferred exercises include bench press (narrow grip), dips (triceps style), and reverse push-ups on a bench.
• Forearms. Despite the fact that this muscle group makes a minimal contribution to the volume of the arm, its importance should not be underestimated. For example, the brachialis is the basis of the biceps, which is involved in creating its shape. This area develops well when lifting the barbell for biceps with a reverse grip. Brachyradialis is activated when working with dumbbells (hammer exercise). As for the coracoid muscle, it works when lifting dumbbells while lying down or in the process of lifting a projectile in front of you. Effective exercises for the forearm are Hammer raises, spider curls, reverse and straight (wrist) lifts from the bench (kneeling position).

Results

As can be seen from the article, the anatomy of the hands is quite easy to study, and the muscle groups can be trained. The main thing is to understand the principles of muscle function, think through the training program and be attentive to body signals.